purpose & impact

We pride ourselves on delivering work that has a positive and lasting impact on the people, areas and communities that we support.

We have developed over 300 young startup leaders.

Over 40% of alumni of The NEF Fast Track have gone on to become founders, collectively raising more than £100m in investment and creating 2,200 jobs. The sectors covered include: health-tech, AI, consumer goods, food & drink and more. Other alumni have gone on to achieve leadership positions in some of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses.

The CFE annual lecture on entrepreneurship is our flagship event – we held the inaugural lecture in November 2018, where Eric Schmidt, explored how Britain, Europe and the world can create the next generation of entrepreneurs.

We have advocated for refugee entrepreneurs to national political leaders.

Our report Starting afresh was formally launched in parliament in 2018, and makes a compelling case for why refugees make great entrepreneurs. Putting the uni in unicorn, published in 2017, highlights the opportunities for universities to drive economic growth and innovation.